My brothers and sisters, the story we hear in our first reading today reads almost like a beautiful movie scene. It is a story of a divine a...
My brothers and sisters, the story we hear in our first reading today reads almost like a beautiful movie scene. It is a story of a divine appointment, perfectly orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. It shows us how God pursues a seeking heart, and we can understand this beautiful dynamic through three words: Thirst, Teacher, and Transformation.
Our first word is Thirst. Look at the Ethiopian eunuch. He is a high-ranking court official, a man of wealth and status. Yet, he is sitting in his chariot in the desert reading the prophet Isaiah. He has all the money in the world, but he has a deep, undeniable spiritual thirst. He is seeking God, but he is confused by the text. In our Gospel today, Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him." That spiritual thirst in the Ethiopian's heart was God the Father, actively drawing him in. If you are here at Mass today, or if you feel a quiet tug in your heart to pray more or be a better person, that is not an accident. That is your spiritual thirst, and it is the Father drawing you to Himself.
But God usually doesn't leave us to figure it out alone. This brings us to our second word: Teacher. The Holy Spirit tells Philip to run up to the chariot. Philip asks the man, "Do you understand what you are reading?" The man humbly replies, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" Philip becomes the Teacher. He breaks open the Word of God, explaining how the suffering servant in Isaiah is actually Jesus. God uses human instruments to deliver His grace. We are all called to be a Philip to someone else. There are people in our families, in our workplaces, who are confused and thirsty. We don't need theological degrees to be a teacher; we just need to share the simple truth of what Jesus has done in our lives.
When the Thirst meets the Teacher, it results in our final word: Transformation. As they travel, they come to some water, and the Ethiopian immediately asks to be baptized. He goes down into the water a seeker, and he comes up a Christian. Philip is snatched away, but the newly baptized man "continued on his way rejoicing." He has been transformed because he has received the Bread of Life that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel—the living bread drawn from the Father.
Let us be attentive to the divine appointments in our own lives. Never ignore your spiritual thirst, be humble enough to learn, be willing to teach others, and allow the living Bread of Jesus Christ to transform your life into a journey of joy. Amen.
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